Pandemic Accelerates Digital Pace

PCI is excited to launch our new e-Magazine platform and design with this March issue. Rather than reading like a page-turning magazine, each department, column or feature article reads like a web page. Simply scroll down each page until you have reached the end of the article, and click the right and left arrows on the side of your screen to move to the next or previous content within the issue. You can also use the hamburger menu on the upper right of each page to view thumbnail images of each component of the issue, and navigate between pages by clicking on these images. If you have any questions on how to navigate through the issue, click on the 'i' at the top of the page for more information.

Not only is the platform more current, it is also a much better fit for the graphic-heavy technical articles that we publish each month. Figures and tables can now be easily placed directly beneath their mention in the body of each article. Our new design also allows for scroll-based animations, video backgrounds and more that will enhance the reading experience for our readers. Many thanks to our Art Director, Clare Johnson, for putting in the many extra hours of training to learn this program and design a completely new e-Magazine.

In the last eight months, PCI has transitioned to a fully digital information platform and advertising medium. Our e-Magazine, annual Coatings Supplier Handbook, directories, media kit, and more are now all digital.

Globally, companies have been moving toward digital business models for several years now, however a recent report from McKinsey & Company, titled “How COVID-19 has Pushed Companies over the Technology Tipping Point — and Transformed Business Forever,” details how the pandemic has affected the speed of this transition. The numbers are pretty astounding, with the pandemic accelerating the adoption of digital solutions by as much as 6-10 years.

“During the pandemic, consumers have moved dramatically toward online channels, and companies and industries have responded in turn,” the report states. “In fact, when we asked executives about the impact of the crisis on a range of measures, they say that funding for digital initiatives has increased more than anything else — more than increases in costs, the number of people in technology roles, and the number of customers,” it continues.

The world is changing…rapidly. The changes we have undergone in recent months have been swift and challenging, however we are moving forward with confidence. PCI’s Publisher, Tom Fowler, says, “We can see the future, and are driving there as fast as we can to keep ahead of our industry.”